Pickup-truck camper shells are mounted over a pick-up truck bed, and permit the conversion of the bed into a closed area. Conventional camper shells are constructed of rigid and heavy materials such as fiberglass or metal and are not easily installed or removed from the truck. They are also not readily adaptable to fit different size truck beds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,734, issued to the applicant herein, is directed to a removable camper shell apparatus. The '734 patent discloses a collapsible frame over which a tarp type of covering may be placed. That apparatus has the advantage of collapsibility for storage purposes.
However, a need exists for a camper shell that is not only collapsible, but that also is adjustable to fit a plurality of bed sizes. There is a further need for a collapsible camper shell providing an improved coupling between and among the cover, the shell frame and the truck bed. There is a yet further need for a collapsible camper shell that eliminates the need for tie-down straps or the bolting of a frame to a truck bed (or the creation of holes in the truck bed for such purpose). The present invention satisfies these needs and provides other, related, advantages.